The subject invention relates generally to pipe insulation products and more specifically to pipe insulation products comprising an insulating material core enclosed within a laminate jacket.
Piping is often used to transport one or more fluids between destinations. For example, piping may be used to transport water, petroleum, oxygen, etc. The piping is often made from a metal material, such as copper, stainless steel, galvanized steel, aluminum, brass, titanium, etc., or from a plastic material, such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC), chlorinated polyvinyl chloride (CPVC), fiber reinforced plastic (FRP), polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE), etc. Piping may also be made from a ceramic, fiberglass, or concrete material, although these pipes are less common.
During fluid transportation, the fluid may be subjected to heating and/or cooling from the surrounding environment. For example, the fluid may be transported in either a hot or cold state relative to the surrounding environment, which induces heat transfer to or from the fluid and pipes. HVAC systems are a common example of systems that routinely utilize various pipe configurations to transport hot or cold fluids. Due to the conductive nature of the pipes (especially metal pipes), heat may be conducted to or from the fluid during transportation. The addition or removal of heat may result in the decreased efficiency of a system and/or increased time and/or expense in operating the system. For example, in HVAC systems, the addition of heat to cooled fluids may result in loss of efficiency for a cooling unit and may also result in increased expense because of increased operating time and energy needed to achieve a desired cooling level.
To reduce heat transfer during fluid transportation, pipe insulation products are commonly installed on one or more sections of pipes to retard the flow of heat to or from the pipes. Commonly, one or more sections of pipe are fitted with a pipe insulation product where the sections of pipe are generally fully encased within the pipe insulation product. Separate sections of pipe insulation product are often coupled together via adhesive tapes. The outer surface of the pipe insulation product is often designed to enhance the visual appeal of the piping system and serve as a means for sealing the pipe insulation product about the pipes of the piping system. In addition, the various layers of the pipe insulation product often serve one or more important functions (e.g., restricting water vapor transmission; resisting mold, mildew, and/or fungal growth; providing puncture resistance, tensile strength, and/or durability; resisting UV, handling, environmental, and/or shipping damage, etc.).
To perform some of these functions, it is critical that the outer layer of the pipe insulation product be sealed and remain sealed over the life of the pipe insulation product. For example, the pipe insulation product may include one or more layers that restrict the transmission of water vapor or other environmental contaminants through the laminate. Generally, a pipe insulation product is required to have a water vapor transmission rate of no greater than 0.02 perms. If the pipe insulation product is not able to seal and/or remain sealed over the life of the product, the layer that functions as a water vapor barrier or retarder may be compromised or circumvented because water vapor and/or other contaminants may freely flow through the unsealed portion of the pipe insulation product.
Leakage of water vapor and/or other contaminants into the pipe insulation product's interior may cause a variety of problems for the insulated pipe and/or surrounding objects including: condensation of water on the pipes; mold, mildew, or fungal growth; pipe corrosion or degradation; staining of the pipe insulation product and/or surrounding objects; water drip damage; loss of the pipe insulation product's insulating value, etc. Hence, the integrity of the pipe insulation product's seal is critically important to the functionality of the pipe insulation product.